EMPOWERMENT AND INCREASE IN SELF ESTEEM: The side of Metal the moral majority doesn't want you to know about.

Heavy Metal since its inception in the 60's and mainstream breakout in the 70's, has been viewed as a negative influence, driving young people to feel depressed, lonely, suicidal, and suffering from low esteem.

Where does this opinion come from? What makes people think that a genre of music is solely responsible for these tragedies amongst young people?

The answer, lack of education.

From an outside perspective, Heavy Metal music has all the appearance of being quite evil, especially in the Black Metal/Death Metal circles. Even seemingly tame musically by today's standards, Motley Crue, adorned their album cover with a an upside-down pentagram, a pagan inspired mark used by Christianity to symbolize Satan. For the most part, these are all symbols of rebellion, a common theme in music listened to by angst driven hormone fuelled young people, mere flash and stage antics, no more realistic than the characters played out in professional wrestling.

There are exceptions to the rule, but there always are, with the thousands of bands in existence you are bound to find some individuals who are a little left of centre (ie: Gaahl, frontman of Gorgoroth). This however, still should not affect the listener in a negative way, no matter the age, unless that person has other problems psychologically outside the music that make them succeptable to depression, suicide or unchecked violent tendencies. If it truly was a question of music influencing actions, "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles should have been the scapegoat when Charles Manson did his dirty deeds in the Tate/Bianca murders.

In the case of a troubled individual, absolutely nothing will ever replace a good support structure like parents, friends, or a counselor of some kind. In spite of all those things, metal unlike some other musical genres that choose to sugarcoat the problems facing someone, confronts these same problems head on unabashedly slapping these metaphorical demons across the face and saying "So what!" It is this aggressive and direct approach that give metal its capability to empower, uplift and drive a person to rise above strife and pain affecting their lives.

Some great examples of this direct confrontation with our fears, forcing us to look inward and gather the strength to overcome these obstacles. "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, "Fear of the Dark" by Iron Maiden, and "Get Up Again" by Flaw are great examples of overcoming nightmarish distress and soaring above it. To use a choral excerpt from the song written by Flaw previously mentioned as an examplar of what I mean,

Reach out your hands

Out for the ones who, aid when the going gets rough

Until the end.

These are the ones who, help when the times get tough

And times will get tough.

Get up again.

Times will get tough.

Get up again.

There is a host of other artists that could be added to this list but to simplify the matter and not cloud the issue with too much trivia, the resounding message of Metal is this, be happy with who you are, however you look, whatever your upbringing, you are not alone and you will get through this.

For a great look at being confident and sure of oneself in a counterculture check out the cover story for the Edmonton Journal today. Its worth checking out.